Homer Spit Campground

We stayed on a beachfront site. There’s not much room between sites, but having a beachfront site gave us plenty of room for the kids to run during the day. Low tides make for great fishing, tide pooling, and star fish watching.

There are a few city run campgrounds on the spit in Homer.  This mini peninsula juts a few miles out into Kachemak Bay and creates one of the main tourist areas for the town. This is another of Alaska's pot-holed, parking lot camping areas where tents can be set up just off the perimeter and RVs of any size can take up residence within it. Picnic tables and fire rings lie between the parking and the beach and there’s a general esprit de corps of the folks hanging out there.  

Like many Alaskan camping spots what the site itself lacks in charm, is simply overwhelmed by the spectacular views in any direction. That's why you come here in the first place. The bathroom situation is simple, a couple of port-o-potties with a hand washing station. Recycling and trash dumpsters are right next to the toilets. Water can be filled up for free at the city RV dump station in town, right across from the Post Office on the Sterling Hwy. Payment can be made at the automated permit machine. 

The lack of any trees made solar power a no-brainer, even on the cloudy days. With our solar suitcase from Renogy and 200W of solar on the roof, we were able to recharge our battery without any issues. 

There's a great bike path that leads to the many tourist shops, bars and restaurants on the spit. The spit is also a great launching area for kayaking in the ocean side of the spit- launching on the other bay side can be tricky because of tides and mud. Parking along the spit is pretty easy and there are large lots which allow for overnight parking if you are going to use the area as a launching pad for other adventures either on the Kenai or further afield. Homer is known as a particularly good spot for Grizzly Bear tours into Kobuk Valley National Park (the holy grail of grizzly sightings). Be sure to tour the Alaskan Maritime National Wildlife Refuge Visitor’s Center, it’s difficult to get out to the Aleutian Islands, but through the engaging films and interactive displays, you can get a feel for the history and wildlife of these remote areas. 

Homer has all the services that campers need including grocery stores and good restaurants (we loved Fat Olive and Carmen’s Gelato out on the spit.)  A short drive along East End Road will take you right by Fitz Creek General store, which is a treat for all kinds of cool stuff -- the chocolate muffins alone are worth the drive alone. The village farmer’s market is truly amazing with veggies, baked goods, prepared food, and lots of other arts and crafts.

Yes, we were packed in next to our neighbors, but the location was awesome. We had an inside site (all that was left when we rolled up same day) but we were mainly there to walk around the spit and sleep so it was perfect. The staff there were SO nice and friendly and helpful.